During hemodialysis, impurities and toxins are removed from the blood of a patient by drawing the blood out of the patient through a blood access site, typically via a catheter, and then passing the blood through an artificial kidney (often referred to as a “dialyzer”). The artificial kidney includes microtubes that each separate a first conduit from a second conduit. Generally, a dialysis solution (often referred to as a “dialysate”) flows through the first conduit of the dialyzer while the patient's blood flows through the second conduits of the dialyzer, causing impurities and toxins to be transferred from the blood to the dialysate through the microtubes. The impurities and toxins can, for example, be removed from the blood by a diffusion process. After passing through the dialyzer, the purified blood is then returned to the patient.
When kidney failure is diagnosed, patients are typically given medication to help control the symptoms and slow the progress of damage to the kidneys. Patients with chronic kidney failure generally take drugs, such as iron supplements, to control the balance of minerals in the body.